BOSTON -- The New Jersey Devils' defense snarled the Boston
Bruins' offense like the trip for those few fans that made it to
the TD Banknorth Garden.
Jamie Langenbrunner scored two goals to lift the Devils to a 3-1
win over the Bruins on Thursday night in a game played in front of
about only 1,500 people due to a major snowstorm.
Brian Gionta also scored and Martin Brodeur stopped 19 shots for
the Devils, who halted a two-game losing skid that came after a
nine-game winning streak.
"It was a solid team win," New Jersey coach Brent Sutter said.
"Everyone got back to what they needed to do and our awareness was
what it needed to be."
Marc Savard had a power-play goal for Boston, which snapped a
three-game winning streak. The Bruins played 11 of their previous
13 on the road.
But Savard's goal was one of a few good opportunities the Bruins
had against the Devils, who came into the game allowing the
second-fewest goals in the Eastern Conference.
"That's what they play for," Boston goaltender Alex Auld said.
"They give you so few chances."
When the players took the ice for pregame warmups, there were
maybe 500 people in their seats.
"I think the ushers and the families were the only ones in the
stands," joked Devils defenseman Mike Mottau. "It's always nice
to play an NHL game -- fans or no fans."
New Jersey jumped ahead 1-0 on Gionta's goal 10:57 into the
second period when he snapped a shot that slipped between the
Auld's pads.
With Andrew Alberts off for a double-minor for high sticking and
Zdeno Chara whistled for slashing, the Devils cashed in on the
two-man advantage when Langenbrunner one-timed a shot inside the
left post at 14:34 to make it 2-0.
Savard's power play score cut to 2-1 just 1:31 into the third.
The Bruins didn't generate many scoring chances after Savard's
goal, and Langenbrunner sealed it with an empty-netter in the final
minute. It was unlike their play during their time away from home
when they averaged 3.36 goals per game.
"I don't think it gets easier at home," Boston coach Claude
Julien said. "But all that work we did on the road won't do us any
good if we don't do well at home."
During pregame introductions, the building was darkened and snow
flakes were shown falling on the jumbotron and along the message
boards that ring the arena, reminding many of the fans what was
going on outside in the area's first major snowfall of the season
that was expected to dump about 10 inches. Traffic along a major
river road that winds along the city toward the Garden was clogged,
forcing many to sit for two hours for a trip that lasts a few miles
as at least a half dozen cars were abandoned.
In the building, it had the appearance of a preseason game with
very little natural crowd noise. Neither team scored in a first
period that had very few chances and limited action until a late
fight between Boston's Milan Lucic and the Devils David Clarkson.
Game notes
The paid attendance was 12,064. ... Boston went 8-5 in its
recent 13-game stretch. ... The Devils won 4-3 in OT in the teams'
last meeting on Dec. 5 in New Jersey. ... Boston G Manny Fernandez
had surgery on his left knee on Wednesday. ... Devils LW Jay
Pandolfo missed his seventh straight game with a strained groin.
... Auld, acquired for a minor leaguer and a fifth round pick in
2009 on Dec. 6, started his fourth consecutive game. ... The Bruins
sent D Matt Hunwick back to Providence of the AHL after the game.